Tolo Harbour
| Tolo Harbour | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tolo Harbour and Pat Sin Leng (mountains) | |||||||||||||
| Chinese | 吐露港 | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Tolo Harbour (Chinese: 吐露港), or Tai Po Hoi (大埔海, historically 大步海; 'Tai Po Sea'), is a sheltered harbour in northeast New Territories of Hong Kong.
Geography
Tide Cove, also known as Sha Tin Hoi, is to the south of the harbour, and Plover Cove, Three Fathoms Cove and Tolo Channel are to its east.
The Shing Mun River empties first into Tide Cove, then the harbour.
Several islands are located in the harbour, including Ma Shi Chau, Centre Island, Yeung Chau and Yim Tin Tsai. Yuen Chau Tsai is a former island, now connected to the mainland by a causeway.
History
In the past pearls were very abundant here.[1] Pearl hunting had been a major industry in Tai Po from the Han dynasty. In the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, a king of Southern Han changed the name of Tai Po to Mei Chuen To (媚川都) and ordered an aggressive cultivation effort, which led to many fatalities amongst the pearl hunters. The hunting lasted until the Ming dynasty, when the pearl oysters were nearly extinct in the area.
Transportation
Kowloon–Canton Railway was built in 1910s and Tolo Highway in 1980s on its western shore.
Kaito Ferry Services across Tolo Harbour are available:[2]
- Tai Shui Hang – Ma Liu Shui/Tai Mei Tuk
- Ma Liu Shui – Lai Chi Wo
- Ma Liu Shui – Kat O/Ap Chau
- Ma Liu Shui – Tap Mun
- Ma Liu Shui – Tung Ping Chau
See also
References
- ^ Hase, P. H. (2020). "Chapter 3. Traditional Sha Tin". Settlement, Life, and Politics - Understanding the Traditional New Territories. Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong studies series. City University of Hong Kong Press. pp. 228–229. ISBN 9789629374419.
- ^ "Transport Department - Kaito Ferry Service Details". www.td.gov.hk. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
External links
- 大埔的珠池 (Standard Chinese)
- Satellite view of the harbour and Tide Cove (centre), and Plover Cove, Three Fathoms Cove and the Tolo Channel (right)
22°26′50″N 114°11′17″E / 22.44722°N 114.18806°E